Carving-machine.



PATENTED SEPT. 24, 190-7.

P. H. RICHARDS. GARVIN G MACHINE. .urmdmmn FILED JAN. 1a, 1903, lumswnn FEB. 19, 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1n: NDRRII Inns 00., wAsumomN, b

PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907. P. H. RICHARDS. GARVING MACHINE. Arrmcn on rrinn um. 16. mag, nnnnwsn ms. 19, 1007.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wigmrewt- M: minus rETzRs c0, luau/unfounc.

170,867,079. PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907. F. H. RICHARDS. GARVING MACHINE. AiPLIQATIOfi FILED urns, 190a. RENEWED ran. 19, 1907.

' 4 sums-sum s.

= JJ j 25 PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

F. H. RICHARDS. GARVING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 3.16, 1903. RENEWED FEB. 19, 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

[UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

I FRANCIS RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

CARVING-MAGHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept; 24, 1907.

Application filed January 16,1903, Serial l lo. 139,270; Renewed February 19, 1907- Serial No. 358,274-

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. Rronnnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carving-Machines, of which the following is a specification. 1

present invention pertains to the general class of automatic machines and relates more particularly to machines for carving moldings or the like on running stocks of wood or other materials.

This invention consists in the novel organization and structure of the machine as a'whol'e, and also in the elementary and more complex combinations making up the machine as a whole, and to the structure of said elementary combinations and elements.

Some of the objects of the present invention are to provide a simple, compact and efficient machine of the above named character, organized and constructed to effect the required operation in the most advantageous manner, of such form that the first cost shall be low, and organized and constructed to withstand heavy duty for continued periods.

Another object is to provide means in combination with the usual elements of such acarving machine and particularly in combination with the elements and com binations of this particular machine for positioning the stock to be operated upon accurately for every opera tion of the carving instrumentality, notwithstanding. that the stock may be of uneven thickness or of uneven dimensions otherwise.

wall partly broken away to disclose the inclosed mechanism; Fig. 2 a plan; Fig. 3 a rear elevation showing rear wall of frame broken away to show the mechanism partly in section on line 47-47 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a detail in section of the vertically operatingtool head and its bearing; Fig. 5 a vertical longitudinal section of the upper portion of the machine on line 48-48 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 a detail in perspective, showing the parts partly broken 'away and one carriage removed, of the superstructure of the machine.

Referring to the drawings the machine is mounted and assembled in and on a box like'frame l. The parallel stock guides are mounted longitudinally of and on top of the frame 1, and are preferably horizontal. The stock guides 2 are covered by closures 3-3, the inner surfaces of which are made smooth and to conform to the stock within the stock guides. Recesses 4-4 are :guides 2-2. able tension and may be experimented with until provided in the floors of the stock guides 22, which recesses 4-4 are formed wedge shaped being deep at their rearward ends and tapering in depth to very shallow at their forward ends. The bottoms of said recesses 4-4 are finished plane surfaces. Wedge blocks 5-5 are mounted in the recesses 4-4 and when they rest upon the inclined bottoms of the recesses 4-4 their surfaces are parallel with the floors of the stock guides 2-2. It-will be seen that if the wedge blocks 5-5 are moved forwardly or backwardly their upper surfaces will be raised or lowered, while at the same time maintaining their parallelism with the floors of the stock guides 2. Compressible springs 6-6 are interposed between the rear end of the wedge blocks 5-5 and the rear ends of the recesses 4-4, which springs 6-6 normally tend to force the wedge blocks 5-5 forward and into that position wherein their upper surfaces are raised to the highest position relative to the stock The springs 6-6 should have considerproper tension is attained.

The operation of the wedge blocks 5-5 is as follows: The stock is fed into the stock guides and rides over the wedge blocks 5, the spring 6 forcing the wedge blocks forward and up against the .under surface of the stock thereby forcing the upper or face surface of the stock into contact with the closures 3-3, thus the inner surface of the closures form positioning surfaces for the face of the stock. As the stock is fed through the stock guides if an inequality in the thickness of the stock is met with it willlbe compensated for by the wedge blocks5-5, in this manner if the inequality be of the nature of an abnormally thick portion of the stock the stock will bind between the inner surfaces of the closures and the wedge blocks 5 and move the wedge blocks 5 rearwardly, which rearward movement of the wedge blocks will increase the distance between the inner surface of the closure and the wedge blocks upper surface, and allow the thick. portionof the stock to pass through, but at the same time the face portion of the stock is pressed firmly against the inner surface of the closure maintaining the required position of the face of the stock. If the inequality in the stock is in the nature of a thin portion of the stock the springs 6 will force the wedge blocks forward, raising their upper surfaces and decreasing the distance between the inner surface of the closure and the top of the wedge block forcing the face of the stock firmly against the inner. surfaces of the closure and positioning the stock for that portion.

Wedge blocks 7-7 are mounted in the inner side wall of the stock guide in substantially the same manner as the wedge blocks 5-5 are mounted in the floor of the stock guide, and have substantially the same action with regard to the side face of the stock positioning the side face by the inner side surface of the closure.

In this art of making carved moldings the curved surface which has to be carved is the one point or surface from which all the other operations should be arranged, that is to say, the surface made ready for the carving should be a standard surface, and if any variation exists in the strip thisvariation should be provided for in some other way than simply pressing the strip against plane surfaces, for by this latter means the location of the prepared molding surface is changed in respeet to the cutters, thus varying the effect of the cut ters and so giving a different form to the articles carved thereon. Therefore the present practice should be radically changed and the method of holding the stock in place should be changed from astandard bearing surface and resiliently mounted rollers or shoes for holding the stock down upon said bearing surfaces to a fixed position surface corresponding with the finished surface of the molding and firmly operating means for holding the stock in position relative to the positioning surface. The flat guide parts so universally used are inadequate in this art and a variation in the thickness of the stock between the finished surface thereof and the back or base surface will cause, with the old method of positioning, a radical variation in the form of the carved figures noticeable to the naked eye, destroying the symmetry of the carved design. Nevertheless it is required that the stock shall be supported against the force of the cutters in a positive and inflexible manner. For meeting this particular requirement I have planned a variable supporting bed for the stock and this bed consists of the wedge blocks 5 and 7 which are of such an angle that the pressure of the cutters does not tendto move them any way. These wedges are-held in place by their springs and the large end of the Wedges lie in the direction the stock is moving and operate in the man ner described giving the proper relief, adjustment and positioning. I have shown the wedge blocks .5 and 7 on each stock guide, one wedge, however can be made angle shaped, and employed in place of the two, but this method has the disadvantage offeffecting one adjustment by the making of the other adjustment. For holding the stock in place I preferably employ metal guards or closures for the stock guides with well har dened and polished interior surfaces of standard form. The stock will then be held against this guard and the finished surface maintained in the correct position, causing the cutters to operate uniformly notwithstanding that the thicknessand width of the stock may vary somewhat. Of course the stock should be kept nearly to the standard size, and for this reason the preparation of strips of stock becomes very important, and they should be gotten out to match standard gages, but though this is done slight variations are bound to occur which must be provided for to maintain the symmetry of the carved design. The stock guide closures 3 or guards must be changed for each stock differently conformed in cross section.

A driving shaft 8 is mounted transversely of the stock guides 22 and below said stock. guide within the frame 1 in bearings 9 and 10 in the side walls of the frame 1. The driving shaft 8 is mounted in a hori zontal position. A cutter head 11 having a rectangular shank is mounted to reciprocate vertically in a rectangular hearing 12 in the top of the frame 1, the head proper of said cutter head 11 extending laterally over each of the stock guides 2. Tools 13 are clamped to the laterally extending surfaces of the cutter head 11 and are adapted to vertically incisc the stock lying in stock guides 2 with the vertical reciprocating motion of the cutter head 11. The shank of the cutter hcud 11 extends downwardly through the rectangular bearing 12 to within the frame 1. An eccentric 14 is mounted fast on the driving shaft 8 directly below the shank of the cutter head 11, and an eccentric. rod .15, shown as a double eccentric rod, connects the eccentric ll with the lower projecting end of the shank of the cu ttcr head 11. It Will be seen that the rotation of the driving shaft 8 will cause the reciprocation of the cuttcr heads 11 and the incision of the stock by the fools 13 at cithcr side of the pair of stock guides 2. Horizontal guide Ways l616 are formed upon the upper surface of the frame 1 in which guideways l6l6 tool carriages 17 and 18 are mounted to reciprocate transversely of the stock guides 22. Each of the tool carriages l7 and 18 is provided with a transverse guidcway lfl'in its under surface, in which wrist pin blocks 20 are mount cd to slide transversely of the tool carriages. 'lhc wrist pin blocks 20 accommodate wrist pins 21 on crunk disks 22. The crank disks 22 are mounted fuston the upper ends of vertical shafts 23 and 24. The vertical shaft 23 is mounted in a bearing '25 in the lop of the frame 1 and a bearing 26 projecting from the side wall of the frame 1. The vertical shaft 24 is n'iountcd in a bearing 27 in the top of the frame 1, and a bearing 28 projecting from the side walls of the frame 1. Like spiral gears 29 and 30 are respectively mounted fast on the vertical shafts 23 and 24 and respcclivcly mesh with and are driven from spiral gears 31 and 32 fast on the driving shaft.

The guideways 1-9 in the tool carriages 17 and 18 serve as yokes in which the wrist pins 21 and their blocks 20 work, causing the cranks 22 upon lhc rotution of the vertical shafts 23 to reciprocate the tool carriages 17 and 18 transversely of the stock guidcs 2.

The cranks 22 are set and assembled on the vertical shafts 23 and 24 in such manner that the tool cul'liugcs 17 and 18 will approach their respective stock guidcs simultaneously and recede therefrom simulumcously. Tools 33 are clamped upon the tool carriages l7 and 18 and make incisions simultaneously in the two picccs of stock lying in the stock guides with the reciprocation of the tool carriages l7 and 18 which incisions are met by incisions subsequently made by the tools '13 on the cutter head 11 to form the required design. The cccentric 14 is set upon the driving shaft 8 and timcd to cause the tools 13 on the cutter head 11 to incisc lhc stock simultaneously with the incisions of the stock by the tools 33 on the tool carriages 1.7 and 18.

A wedge gih 34 (see Fig. 4) is mounted in one side of the rectangular bearing 12 and can be adjusted downwardly or upwardly by an adjusting screw 16 to take up the wear in bearing 12 and thereby maintain a precise movement of the cutter head 11.

The time occupied in the incising action of the tools 13 and 33 upon the stock is only a portion of the time occupied in making the full strokes of the cutter guide 11 and the carriages 17 and 18. The remaindcr of the time occupied in making the strokes of the cutter hcad 11 and the carriages 17 and 18 is occupied in feeding the stock forwardly to a new position which is done by thefeeding mechanism. A cam 35 properly shaped and timed is mounted fast upon a driving shaft 8 and a connecting rod 36 is slotted longitudinallyand mounted with the driving shaft 8 passing through the slot. Idle rolls 37 and 38 are mounted upon the connecting rod 36 at the opposite sides of the cam 35, and the upper end of the connecting rod 36 is pivoted to one arm of a lever 39 loosely mounted upon a horizontal shaft 40 mounted transversely of the stock guides 2 beneath said stock guides in a bearing 41 depending from the top of the frame 1. A pawl 42 is pivoted on an arm of the lever 39 and is adapted to engage a ratchet wheel 43 fast on the shaft 40. The can 35 is timed to cause the ratchet 42 to engage theratchet wheel 43 and rotate the shaft 40 during that period in the cycle of the machine when the tools 13 and 33 are entirely without the profile of the stock. The feed rolls 44 and 45 are mounted fast on the shaft 40 and their peripheries respectively project through and slightly above the floors of the stock guides 2. The peripheries of the feed rolls 44 and 45 are roughened to insure a grip upon the under side of the strip lying in the stock guides 2. The feed rolls 44 and 45 being fast upon the shaft 40 feed the stock forwardly in the stock guides 2 during that period in the cycle of the machine when the tools 13 and 33 are entirely without the profile oi the stock. It is therefore seen that the incising action of the tools 13 and 33 and the withdrawal of the said tools within the profile of the stock alternates with the intermittent forward feed of the stock by the feed rolls 44 and 45.

The closures 3 of the stock guides 2-2 are cut away at the points where the tools 13 and 33 strike the stock. It is obvious that various changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangements of the parts to adapt the same to various classes of work without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a carving machine, the combination with a table, a plurality of parallel stock guides on said table, a plurality of ways on said table oppositely disposed of said stock guides, a plurality of tool carriages reciprocatably mounted in said ways and provided with transverse yokes in their under surface, a plurality of shafts mounted in said table perpendicularly of said tool carriages, cranks on said shafts engaging said yokes, a driving shaft transverse of said stock guides, spiral gearing between said driving shaft and said before mentioned shafts, .a tool carriage reciprocatably mounted in said table between said stock guides and out of alinement with said former tool carriages, a crank in said driving shaft, and a connecting rod between said crank and said latter tool carriage.

2. In a carving machine, the combination of a table, a plurality of parallel stock guides on said table, a plurality of ways on said table oppositely disposed of said stock guides, a plurality of tool carriages reciprocatably mounted in said ways and provided with transverse yokes, a plurality of shafts mounted in said table perpendicularly of said respective tool carriages, cranks on said shafts engaging said yokes, a driving shaft transverse of said stock guides and disalined with said before mentioned shafts, a crank in said driving shaft, a tool carriage reciprocatably mounted for up and down movement between said stock guides, a connecting rod connecting said latter tool carriage and said crank on said driving shaft, spiral gearing between said driving shaft and said before mentioned shafts, and an intermittent feed in operative connection with said driving shaft.

In a carving machine, the combination of a table, a plurality of parallel stock guides on said table, a plurality of ways on said table lying in a horizontal plane and perpendicularly 'to' and oppositely disposed of said stock guides, a plurality of tool carriages reciprocatablymounted in said ways and having transverse yokes, a plurality of shafts mounted in said table perpendicularly of said respective tool carriages, cranks on said shafts engaging said yokes, vertical ways between said stock guides and out of alinement with said tool carriages, a tool carriage reciprocatable in said vertical ways, a horizontal driving shaft mounted transversely of said stock guides directly beneath said vertical tool carriage, a crank in said driving shaft directly beneath "said vertical tool carriage, a connecting rod connecting the said vertical carriage and the said crank in said driving shaft, spiral gearing between said driving shaft and said before mentioned shafts, an intermittent feed operatively connected with said driving shaft, the moment of closest approach ofsaid horizontal tool carriages to said stock guide, the moment of closest approach of said vertical carriage to said stock guide, and the feed of said intermittent. feed timed to occur at different periods in the rotation of said driving shaft.

4. In a carving machine, the combination of a stock guide having a depression in the floor thereof, a closure over said stock guide conforming to the surface of the stock to be fed therethrough the bottom of said depression being inclined downwardly .in said stock guide, a wedge disposed in said depression, the upper surface of which wedge is parallel to the floor of said stock guide, said wedge being of lesser length than the length of said depression, and adspring or springs disposed between the thicker edge of said wedge and the adjacent end wall of said depression in said stock guide.

5. In a carving machine, the combination of a stock guide having a depression in the floor thereof, a bridge over said stock guide conforming on its underside to the surface of the stock to be fed therethrough, the bottom of said depression in said stock guide being (inclined downwardly, a Wedge disposed in said depression the upper surface of which wedge is parallel to the floor of said stock guide, said Wedge being of lesser length than the length of said depression, and a spring or springs disposed between the thicker edge of said wedge and the adjacent end wall of said depression.

6. In a carving machine, the combination of a stock guide having a depression in the floor thereof, a bridge over said stock guide conforming on its under surface to the upper face of the stock to be fed therethrough, the bottom of said depression being inclined downwardly toward the direction of feed in said stock guide, a wedge disposed in said depression the upper surface of which wedge is parallel with the floor of said stock guide, said wedge being of lesser length than the length of said de pression, and a spring or springs disposed between the thicker edge of said wedge and the adjacent end wall of said depression.

7. In a carving machine, the combination of a table, a plurality of parallel stock guides on said table each having a depression or depressions in the floor thereof, the bottom of said depressions being inclined downwardly in the direction of the feed in said stock guides, a wedge disposed in each of said depressions, the upper surface of said wedges being parallel to the floor of said stock guides said wedges being of lesser length than the length of said depressions, and springs disposed between the thicker edges of said wedges and the adjacent end walls of said depressions in said stock guides, bridges over said stock guides the under surfaces of which bridges conform to the upper surface of the stock to be fed therethrough, a plurality of ways on said table lying in a horizontal plane and perpendicularly to and oppositely disposed of said stock guide, a plurality of tool carriages reciprocatably mounted in said ways and having transverse yokes, a plurality of shafts mounted in said table perpendicularly of said respective tool carriages cranks on said shafts engaging said yokes, vertical ways between said stock guides and out of alinement with said tool carriages, a tool carriage reciprocatable in said vertical ways a horizontal driving shaft mounted transversely of said stock guides directly beneath said vertical tool carriage, a crank in said driving shaft directly beneath said vertical tool carriage, a connecting rod connecting the said vertical carriage and the said crank in said driving shaft. spiral gearing between said driving shaft and said before mentioned shafts, an intermittent feed operatively connected with said driving shafts, the moment of closest approach of said horizontal tool carriages to said stock guides, the moment of closest approach of said vertical carriage to said stock guide, and the feed of said inter mittent feed timed to occur at different periods in the rotation of said driving shaft.

8. In a carving machine the combination with means to incise the stock in transverse directions, of a stock guide having a face conforming to the contour of the face of the stock to be worked upon and two plane surfaces disposed transversely of each other and opposite said face, and each disposed transversely of the line of work of one of said incising means, and followers therein to press said face of the stock against the face of the guide, and each for receiving the force of the working stroke of one of said incising means.

9. The combination with a pair of carving instrumen talities working in transverse directions of a stock guide having a face conforming to the face of the stock to he worked upon and followers to press upon the stock in transverse directions and force the face of the stock against said face of the guide and support the same against the working stroke of said carving instrumentali ties.

10. The combination with carving instrumentalities, of a pair of closures each having a contour corresponding to that of the face of the molding, two transversely disposed faces to mate with said closures, a stock guide, and an independently movable elastically yieldable pressed follower in said respective faces.

11. 111 a carving machine the combination with a closure for the carving receiving face of stock, a plane face for guiding the side of the stock and a plane face for guiding the hack of the stock means for feeding the stock; and a follower in each of such plane faces having the resultant of a compound movement against the direction of feed and towards the said closure and a resultant of a compound movement with the feed and away from the face guide.

12. In a carving machine the combination with means to incise the stock in transverse directions, of a stock guide having a face conforming to the contour of the face of the stock to he worked upon and two plane surfaces disposed transversely of each other and opposite said face, and followers therein to press said face of the stock against the said face of the guide.

13. The combination with a pair of carving instrumentalities movable in intersecting paths, of a stock guide having a face conforming to the face of the stock to be "worked upon, and means for pressing upon the stock in intersecting lilies for forcing the face of the stock iinst said face of the guide and support the same against the working stroke of said carving instrumcntalities.

Signed at Nos. fl-15 Murray $17., New York, N. Y., this 14th day of January, 1903.

ERA CIS II. RICHARDS.

Witnesses Fin-1n. .T. DOLE, .TOIIN O. Snnnnrn 

